Rare Candy

What it does

Rare Candy counts as evolving a Basic Pokémon, letting a Stage 2 card go straight onto it from hand; the original Sandstorm wording also allowed a Stage 1. The Unleashed wording added that a Stage 2 in hand could be placed directly onto the Basic, and the Dark Explorers wording dropped Stage 1 and introduced the restriction against using it on the first turn or on a Pokémon put into play that same turn.

Printing history

Rare Candy first appeared in Sandstorm in 2003 with art by Ryo Ueda, who illustrated it through several EX era sets. Noriko Hotta drew the Unleashed printing that introduced the Stage 2 clause, and Toyste Beach and Yoshinobu Saito illustrated later XY and Sword and Shield era prints. It has since picked up Secret Rare and Hyper rare treatments in Plasma Blast, Guardians Rising, and Scarlet and Violet, plus an Ultra Rare in the Mega Evolution era.

Origin and errata

In Black and White, an erratum restricted Rare Candy so it can't evolve a Basic into a Stage 1, and can't be used on the first turn or on a newly played Basic; this new effect first appeared in print in Dark Explorers, matching the earlier effect of Pokémon Breeder. Rare Candy is named for the video game item that raises a Pokémon's level, and the Pokémon GO printing depicts the item as it appears in that game.

Cards to know

• Rare Candy (Sandstorm #88)

  Sandstorm printing is Rare Candy's first appearance, illustrated by Ryo Ueda

• Rare Candy (Unleashed #82)

  Unleashed printing adds the Stage 2 direct-placement clause

• Rare Candy (Dark Explorers #100)

  Dark Explorers printing introduces the modern turn-restriction wording

• Rare Candy (Pokémon GO #069)

  Pokémon GO printing depicts the item as it appears in that game

• Rare Candy (Scarlet & Violet #256)

  Scarlet and Violet printing includes a Hyper rare treatment

• Rare Candy (Mega Evolution #175)

  Mega Evolution printing includes an Ultra Rare treatment